Customer Reviews

The Incredible Hulk Season 4

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I just bought this season just because Season 3 was out! I am glad I did because this one had some of my favorite episodes from that show. It still had much of the Kenneth Johnson formula but now, we see a little more sci-fi in this one plus we get an unintentional nod to the comic book with the Hulk facing off with the military in Prometheus!

Here are the episodes (not in order necessarily but they are on this set):

Prometheus, Pts. 1 & 2 - While in the woods in Utah, Dr. David Banner runs into a blind woman and helps her cope with her handicap. Meanwhile, a meteor crashes to earth that interferes with Banner's metamorphisis into the Hulk, leaving him between his human form and his monster form! He is captured by a military outfit called "Prometheus" and what we get is one great episode!

The First, Pts. 1 & 2 - While investigating a scientist who he thinks may have the cure for his problem, Banner runs into his old assistant and learns that he used to be a creature similiar to The Hulk. Unlike Banner, however, this man wants to be the creature again no matter what and gets his wish with unintentional help from Dr. Banner! Now, the good doctor must risk his own chance to be cured to stop this evil Hulk!

Freefall - A corrupt politician tries to kill Banner while he's parachuting from 12,000 feet!

Deep Shock - After saving a man from electrocution (as The Hulk), Banner discovers that he has temporarily gained ESP.

The Harder They Fall - A car accident leaves Banner paralyzed from the chest down! Banner has to resist the temptation to become The Hulk on purpose in order to heal himself and stop a friend from making a big mistake.

Dark Side - In an attempt to try to control The Hulk's primal rages, Banner's experiment backfires and he becomes a remorsless character who wants The Hulk to wreak havoc! For the first time, The Hulk is capable of murder! Rather scary episode!

Bring Me The Head Of The Hulk - A mercenary wants to kill The Hulk for his own ends but the creature gets help from an unlikely source.

Half Nelson - A rather silly episode that has its comedic moments.

Goodbye Eddie Cain - Interesting episode which sees the Hulk through the eyes of a private eye named Eddie Cain.

King Of The Beach - Lou Ferrigno, in his first speaking role, plays a bodybuilder who decides to do a competition to raise money for his restaurant. Unfortunately, "King" (the long time champion) has other ideas and Banner (along with his alter ego) must stop it.

East Winds - A troubled cop tries to help a long time love as Banner is caught in a dispute over smuggled gold.

Interview With The Hulk - A fallen science reporter poses as Jack McGee and talks with Dr. Banner about his life as the Hulk. Looking for a story at first, he has a change of heart and tries to help Banner get away.

Overall, this is what The Incredible Hulk could've been. While its good to have him in the real world, a well done sci-fi eppy here and there (Prometheus/The First) didn't hurt either! This season gets high marks from me!

The 4th season is my favorite after season 2 as the show returns from a lethargic 3rd season to kick into high gear. The Hulk's best episodes were usually the two parters and the 3rd year was totally lacking in any epic episodes. The one episode which could have been an outstanding two fer, "Homecoming", was made as a one shot and is standout. But it needed to be bigger.

This season makes up for it in the first episode. "Prometheus" is my all-time favorite episode (with "Myster Man" of year 2 a very close second), as Banner deals with being stuck in mid-transformation. The cliffhanger is outstanding and this actually would have made a great season ender for year 3. But season ending cliffhangers were just getting started and not the Hulk's forte. The commentary by Kenny Johnson, as usual, has a wealth of fascinating information. Either he kept every scrap of info on his shows at hand or has the best memory of all time. Part 2 is something of a let down as it becomes a series or rampages, enlivened by one really great confrontation between the half-changed Banner and Jack McGee (really, Jack should be piecing this together by now).

Another classic and final two-part episode is "The First," which is a wonderful homage to the classic Universal monster movies of the 30's and 40's. Dr. Clive, Visaria, Del "Frye" are all names taken from those films. The final battle is disappointing since Dick Durock is no Lou Ferrigno (cmoe on, an old Hulk should have been played by no less than Jack LaLanne!), but the pacing is wonderful and the music score (as in "Prometheus") is outstanding. Not as much Banner and Hulk in this one, since it focuses on Frye and his creature, but it's interesting to see a murderous Hulk type creature and what he would do. Jack McGee, at this point, isn't just an obsessed reporter. He's become a crusader, out to save the people. It's an interesting change and it's because Bixby and Colvin wanted McGee to be a foil for Banner on par with the doctor. He's been decidedly less sleazy the last two years. :-)

"Free Fall" is a favorite for nostalia reasons, but it's a solid story. The sky diving shots and the music behind them are beautiful.

Other favorites for me include "Deep Shock" where Banner acquires temporary ESP and "The Harder The Fall" which is a great story about Banner being paralyzed in an accident, but realizes his healing factor will cure him. In desperation, he actually wants to become the Hulk. When it finally does happen, the creature doesn't understand why his legs won't work. This is, frankly, the last great episode of the series.

Other episodes work on a guilty pleasure level like "Dark Side" and "Bring Me The Head of The Hulk." But "Half Nelson" is just embarrassing (but with some laughs).

Even with the energy petering out toward the end, it's still a superior season, cut short by CBS. The final 5 episodes were aired the next year, but they were shot for season 4. However, these episodes are not on this set (which runs 18 episodes on 4 discs). I wish Universal would have just tacked on season 5, bringing it up to 23 episodes and 5 discs (season 3 has 5 discs). As much as I really love how they put out two seasons at once to capitalize on the new Hulk movie, they could have wrapped it up with the last 5 (I mean, is 5 episodes considerd a season for any show but The Sopranos?). With luck, the final set will come out when the Hulk movie hits DVD.

Aside from that, a worthy set which makes the series 98% complete now. te commentaries by Ken Johnson are always great and his tributes to the cast and crew no longer with us are truly touching. He really loved his people and it shows. He one again urges people to send him any questions or comments. Do so, he's a great guy to talk to.

the best tv from the ,80s and i'd watch it over again.. its worth the money

I am starting a DVD Library of old T.V. shows for our grandchildren. Today's shows are not really appropriate for kids, just the same old sitcoms with no creativity, plot, or memorable characters. Bill Bixby as David Banner in the Hulk brought genuine kindness, likability, moral themes, action,and drama that kids today can understand and will find very entertaining. I rewatched these old shows of the Hulk and found that they are just as interesting now as they were in the '80's. The Hulk is a likable, empathetic creature that feeds the imagination for kids and teaches them about helping others, yet has the excitement of having Dr. Banner turn into the Hulk. The special effects were still good, not corny and the characters were not dated. The Hulk series with Bill Bixby is timeless entertainment. I recommend this series for your children, grandchildren, and yourself.

this was a definite season, with alot of the characters and what they (Banner and Hulk)had to go through. starting with the most popular episode (Prometheous) and the classic "Hulk vs.Hulk" episode (the first). I feel this had made up for season three (see my comments on season three dvd). This season had some very strong episodes that almost stand out as season two. I really liked Dick durdock's potrayal of the evil hulk on "the First" inspite of the fact he was not muscular like Ferrigno. He was very menacing. defintly worth my collection.

i am so glad they finally are bringing back the older tv shows and this show was very cool. The power to go from good to being super strong is very cool. To me all the movies really does not compare to the tv shows. Yes the first movie they came out with stunk this next movie they have coming out looks really good, also a plus when you get season 3 and 4 you get a movie ticket in each box set nice.

well if they have a season 5 i will get it i mean you cant just get one seaon and forget about the rest of the seasons.

After a subpar 1979-1980 season, The Incredible Hulk returned to television in November 1980 after a writer's strike. As the majority of the 18 episodes of the season would show, The Hulk still had plenty left in his tank. New and inventive storylines were presented, the stars of the show stepped behind the camera as opposed to in front of the camera, and Ol' Greenskin delivered in his first speaking role. This was to be however, the last hurrah for the big green guy, as the show soon became marred by tragedy and cost cutting.

The season opens with the thrilling two-part action packed episode "Prometheus." David Banner's encounter with a meteor brings out his alter ego. However, Banner finds himself stuck in mid-transformation when he reverts back to his normal(?)self, and the military investigating the creature along with the meteor further complicate matters. "Prometheus" ranks among the best in the all-time episodes of the series and effectively bridges the gap between the first three seasons to the end of the series.

What made season four effective was that the most important episodes centered on Banner and his quest to finally rid himself of the creature, something that season three seemed to lack. This is evident in episodes such as "Darkside." When Banner attempts to supress the emergence of The Hulk, he instead taps into the creature's evil side. Another episode that reaches into the depths of Banner's subconsciousness is "Deep Shock." When the creature is electrocuted at a power plant, the side effects of the accident have Banner seeing into the future, with possible fatal results. The episode at the centermost point of season four is "The First." SPOILER ALERT: This IS the closest that David Banner will EVER come to finding a cure to rid himself of The Hulk. Once Banner thinks he is finally free of the creature, he encounters a man who once had Banner's affliction. Banner discovers that the man is not interested in helping him, but instead longs to have his power back, regardless of the cost. There would be other episodes after this two-part thriller, but the series in all respects peaked after these episodes.

Series stars Bill Bixby and Jack Colvin directed episodes of the series for the first time during the fourth season. Bixby in "Bring Me the Head of The Hulk", another episode dealing with Banner's quest for a cure, and Colvin with "Goodbye Eddie Cain," and the haunting "East Winds." All three episodes are solidly done, with Bixby's episode a series standout.

The Incredible Hulk was always great for tearing on the heartstrings of its audience, and season four is no exception. In "King Of the Beach," Lou Ferrigno performs in his first speaking role. The episode is really a showcase for Ferrigno, with Bill Bixby mostly in the background playing a supporting role. While "King Of the Beach" is sometimes knocked for its predictable script, the episode is entertaining for its unique photography and touching storyline. In "The Harder They Fall", David finds himself adapting to life as a paraplegic. After some thought, he believes that he can walk again with the emergence of the creature. One of the most powerful episodes of the series, "The Harder They Fall" is a can't miss.

Perhaps the final great episode of The Incredible Hulk is "Interview With The Hulk." When a reporter (not named Magee) traces down Banner and blackmails him into telling his story, Banner agrees. Unbeknownst to Banner, the reporter is from The National Register and Magee is soon on the hunt for both of them.

Oddly enough, it was during the filming of this episode when Bill Bixby (while on the set) learned of his son Christopher's death from a throat infection. After this episode, "The Incredible Hulk" seemed to lose its momentum, and the quality of the show changed drastically for the rest of the season as well as the remainder of its run. After shooting several less than spectacular episodes in the summer of 1981 that would become the fifth season, The Incredible Hulk was unceremoniously cancelled by CBS due to a slight change in ratings and cost cutting that originally threatened to compromise the quality of season four. More on that when season five comes to DVD.

I'm enjoying watching these episodes, some of which I never saw. One problem, I did have to return the set I ordered due to poor packaging, and buy another copy from a local video store. The disks arrived bent and unplayable. Return was easy and money was refunded quickly. Just a cautionary note: these disks are not packaged in a hard case, but in the flexible plastic cases, so if you do order this, try to find a seller that will ship them to you in a box and not a padded envelope so they will have more protection.

I received the package in brand new condition as it was advertised in Amazon from the seller. I love the hulk. The dvd plays smoothly and it doesn't skip. I would definitely recommend anyone to purchase a dvd from a seller on Amazon especially if it's packaged new.

It's too bad this TV series stopped. All in all, the series was great and those of us who were captivated by it kept hoping that Banner would find a cure. Anyway, for those who like the good guy to win, this is the series to watch. Unfortunately, he wins, but he never finds the cure. As in all interesting series like this, we also learn about many professions, albeit surface knowledge only.